About Life REMY
SUMMARY DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT

Project title
REMY – Reducing Emission Modelling uncertaintY
Project focus
REMY project, through a detailed quantitative modelling analysis in three EU critical areas (Po Valley – IT, Catalonia – E, Southern Poland – PL), investigates the impact of uncertainty in pollutants emission and air dispersion models that could negatively affect air quality plan, both on the regional and the local scale, leading to the identification of ineffective emission abatement strategies.
Time
Start date – May 2021, end date: April 2024
Budget
1 538 414 EUR, 923 048 EUR funded by the EC
Project objectives
The main project objective is to provide updated, comprehensive and harmonized recommendations that can support modelling groups in reducing modelling uncertainties and therefore contributing to better development, implementation and evaluation of air quality assessment, air quality plans and source apportionment in the framework of the Ambient Air Quality Directives.
Through specific simulations, both at the regional and urban level, in three different EU areas, the project will focus on the reduction of most relevant model uncertainties related to emission processing, thus aiming at providing operational guidelines concerning:
- integration and harmonization of urban/regional emission inventory also through an online web tool (IEP-NRI),
- emission estimates for most uncertain sources e.g. (I) Resuspension Emissions from Road Traffic, (II) Solid fuel residential and “pizzeria” burning (CSIC/AMAT), (III) Open waste combustion also with feedback from modelling (RSE),
- modelling of emission and formation processes involving primary and secondary organic particulate generation (RSE),
- multiscale modelling in urban and peri-urban areas including both CTM (RSE/IEP-NRI) and local modelling (TA/AMAT/IEP-NRI) also including spatially varied resuspension (TA/AMAT/CSIC).

To achieve more effective results, REMY project will take advantage of the following modelling activities:
- source apportionment modelling to better constraint key emission sources such as dust resuspension and biomass burning (CSIC receptor modelling, RSE CAMx source apportionment),
- the integration of modelling results at different spatial and temporal scales through different tools (e.g. CTM/receptor modelling/urban modelling) testing the results in three EU cities (Milan, Barcelona, Krakow) (ALL),
- an integrated assessment modelling to see the effect of the emission uncertainty on the air quality plan through the definition of optimal measures through RIAT+ tool (www.riatplus.eu) in Po Valley (TA).
Actions and means involved
The implementation actions (A1-A5) are the quantitative elaborations supporting the final aim of the project: the operational guideline and recommendations (A6). They range from the emission uncertainty (A1), the integration of local, regional and national inventories (A2), the urban receptor modelling (A3) and the urban modelling (A5) in Milan (IT), Barcelona (E) and Krakow (PL), the regional modelling (A4) in Po Valley (IT), Catalonia (E), and Southern Poland (PL). Different partners representing different modelling expertise and different EU areas will strictly cooperate in the operational modelling actions in order to support coherently the writing of the guideline. The drawing
of the guidelines and recommendation will be also supported by the subcontractor VITO and its experts (in particular Stijn Janssen), integrating the project team with a specific experience in Belgium (another EU critical area) and in FAIRMODE (together with Guido Pirovano – RSE and Joanna Strużewska – IEP-NRI, already in the project team). The resulting integrated team will provide an international, experienced and well-balanced view on the emission inventory and air quality modelling uncertainty affecting air quality planning.

The obligatory actions for communication and for dissemination of project lessons (B1 and B2) are central in the project economy due to the stakeholder involvement on the whole REMY project and in particular on the guideline. As detailed below the stakeholder involvement will be at three levels:
- FAIRMODE institutional board – a particular focus will be dedicated to FAIRMODE,
- Territorial board – the specific regional results and implication will be shared and analysed with the stakeholder of REMY’s areas of interest (Po Valley, Catalonia, Southern Poland), a particular focus be will dedicated to PREPAIR project – TerrAria and AMAT’s involvement with different roles in PREPAIR will help the sharing of REMY’s results on the uncertainty on specific emission activities in this LIFE integrated project,
- Stakeholder – a more general involvement will be provided for air emission experts and modellers.
The obligatory actions: Project management (C1), After LIFE plan (C2) and monitoring of the project progress (C3) complete LIFE REMY’s structure. Each partner is involved as a leader of one implementation action and of one mandatory action (B or C). TerrAria as coordinating beneficiary has in charge of the integration of the project results translating
them in operational recommendation in the A6 action for a total of two implementation actions. This well-balanced pattern helps both the technical contribution of all the partners on the main goal of the guidelines and the management of the project. Subcontracting is forecasted for high-quality
contribution (e.g. RAMBOLL for CAMx uncertainty reduction, VITO to provide a specialized contribution
on the guidelines).
Expected results
The main project objective is to provide updated, comprehensive and harmonized recommendations that can support modelling groups in reducing modelling uncertainties and therefore contribute to better development, implementation and evaluation of air quality assessment, air quality plans and source apportionment in the framework of the Ambient Air Quality Directives.
Through specific simulations, both at the regional and urban level, in three different EU
- Quantitative results on the impact of the uncertainty (i.e. on emission and modelling) on air quality estimates and related performances in three areas Po-Valley/Milan, Southern Poland/Krakow, Catalonia/Barcelona (regions and urban areas). The uncertainty will be estimated on both the BASELINE and the COVID19 SCENARIO evaluating the sensitivity to the uncertainty in emission inventories before and after the application of project recommendations, through regional CTM modelling (Po-Valley and Catalonia – RSE, Southern Poland – IEP-NRI), RM – receptor models (Milan, Krakow and Barcelona – CSIC), urban modelling (Milan and Barcelona – TA, Krakow – IEP-NRI), integrated assessment modelling RIAT+ (Po-Valley – TA). Quantitative estimations of the model performance will be mainly based on FAIRMODE
indicators such as the modelling quality indicator (MQI) with the corresponding a standardized Modelling Quality Objective (MQO) as well additional modelling performance indicators (MPI). - Operational recommendations to support the compilation of emission inventories and to reduce air quality and consequent air planning uncertainty based on:
2.a the previous quantitative estimates on different model tools (CTM, RM, UM and IAM)
2.b the stakeholder requirements, suggestions and contributions